GTS Reverse Diet
Week 3

Each week we are going to keep building off of the previous weeks.

The Preparation Week material focused on getting ready to start the journey.

Week 1 our focus was on calories and getting the hang of tracking your food.

Week 2 we worked on hitting your target protein numbers.

Week 3, we'll be aiming to increase the total servings of vegetables you have each day. 

REMINDER - Submit Weekly Check-IN on monday!!!

Each Monday I'd like you to submit your weekly results (high/low body weight, average weekly calories/macros, etc) using the Weekly Check-In Form. On this page, you can also sign up for weekly SMS reminders sent to your phone.

Week 3 Focus
Daily Servings of Vegetables

At this point in life, I don't think we really need to review the health benefits of including more vegetables in your day. 

Let's just focus on getting more of them! 

A typical serving of vegetables is about 85g or 3oz. 

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to consume AT LEAST 4 servings (12 oz) of vegetables per day. 

You can do this in the form of sides, salads, bowls, stir fry, stews, soups, etc. Get creative! 

This week, stock up on an assortment of vegetables, experiment with some newer ones, mix them together. Personally, I like getting a mixture of fresh and frozen vegetables as well as packaged.  The easier you can make the preparation process the more likely you'll achieve your daily goal.

For those of you focusing on fat loss, eating them raw or slightly cooked will help you stay full longer.

For those of you looking to gain weight, cook your veggies into your meals. It will shrink the overall volume of food and make it a bit easier to digest with all the other calories you're consuming.  

If you haven't had a chance to watch the vegetable video below, you might find it helpful.  I review some of my weekly vegetable purchases, and why I choose those items. 

STep 1
RESet Custom Calorie and Macros in MyFitnessPal

Set your Week 3 Calorie and Macros in your tracker app on your phone.

Look in your training log for your week 3 calorie and macro targets...

Next, in MyFitnessPal, click...
--> More (bottom right) <--
--> Goals <--
--> Calorie, Carb, Protein, and Fat Goals (Custom) <--
Adjust the calories and percentages to get as close as you can to your prescribed numbers.

Step 2
Prep and Measure out your veggies

I find it helpful to measure out all of my vegetables in a large bowl, 3-6 oz at a time. 

See the video below on how to measure your vegetables... 

What to expect...

Enjoy this week's calorie bump!

With the increase in vegetables you'll probably feel fuller longer and a bit more energized.

Body Weight Reminders

Those of you focusing on fat loss will have likely seen a pretty good drop the first two weeks. It's not uncommon for your body to hold onto the weight a little more the second and third week and the progress to slow day to day.  The body is stubborn sometimes and starting to adjust to this new deficit.  Stay the course, the weight will release at some point, sometimes dropping a few pounds randomly.

Instead of just focusing on the low number on the scale, I'd like you to keep a closer eye on your weekly high bodyweight. Each week I'd like to see less fluctuation in your weight on the high end. You can't necessarily control the rate at which your body releases the weight but by staying the course you can typically ensure your weekly high bodyweight is a little bit lower than the previous week. 

Training Impact Reminders

For those on lower calorie plans, during the first few weeks, you will likely experience a slight drop in how many reps you can perform at the top end of your lifts.

Top end strength might be minimally impacted on the pressing movements, but squat and deadlifting patterns will likely remain un-impacted initially.

This is normal, easy to adjust for and will improve as we slowly add calories back in. Continue focusing on perfecting your reps, and rack the weight when you feel your form is degrading.

Sync up with your coaching staff if you're having issues and we'll adjust your program accordingly.

Success Tip 1
Salads in Mason Jars

Awesome vegetable meal prep idea from Aidan Vosooghi

“For me, making salads can be unexpectedly time consuming with all the chopping, washing, and clean-up.

I’ve experimented with prepping salads ahead of time in mason jars, and they stay fresh for 4-5 days!

By layering the salad strategically, the greens don’t get soggy and it’s easy to eat by tipping into a bowl or onto a plate.

I organize my ingredients like this:

Layer 1: dressing
Layer 2: tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, asparagus, celery, peppers, carrots
Layer 3: mushrooms, zucchini, beans, lentils, peas, corn, broccoli
Layer 4: boiled eggs and cheese
Layer 5: rice, pasta, quinoa or couscous
Layer 6: nuts and greens as lettuce, spinach or arugula.”
 

Success Tip 2
Cook All your veggies for the day

Try cooking all your vegetables for the day at once and split it out into multiple meals.

Measure out a day's worth of vegetables... remember, a serving size of vegetables is typically 3 oz or 85 grams.

Below is what 30 oz of vegetables (roughly 10 servings) looks like.

See if you can grow your total daily vegetables from 4 servings to 8-10 servings per day by the end of the week...

End Of Week Check-IN

I'll be sending out a check-In form on Monday to gather data and see how everyone did, but you're free to communicate with us at any time.

Text our training/nutrition text message account @ 424-265-0487

A few reminders...

Make sure you're weighing yourself 3x per week, preferably first thing in the morning. We'll be tracking the high, the low and average for each week.

Take progress photo (selfies) at each weigh-in.

Final Thoughts & Other Helpful Links

Good luck!

Remember go easy on yourself! Try not to stress about being perfect. This will be a journey, let's just aim for small victories and improvements each week.

Next week we'll taking a look at other carb sources...

Quick Links:
GTS Facebook Team Training Page (Meal Prep Tips and Ideas) 
GTS Nutrition Video Playlist
GTS Nutrition E-Book
Preparation Week
Week 1 - Calories, Logging/Prepping, Cheat Meals
Week 2 - Protein, Preparing in Bulk, Stir Fry and Stew, Quick Protein Options

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